Colpin Conference marks world-class reporting from Latin America

Despite heavy-handed governments, violent crime cartels, and economic challenges, investigative reporting is alive and well across Latin America. Underscoring the achievements of journalists in the region was the fourth Latin American Investigative Journalism Conference (Conferencia Latinoamerica de Periodismo de Investigacion, or COLPIN), held last week in Bogota, Colombia.

The enthusiastic conference  brought together 200 of Latin America’s most enterprising journalists from 15 countries. Among the highlights was the awarding of the annual COLPIN prize, which went to three winners from Brazil and Peru, as well as 13 honorable mentions, selected from 209 nominated stories. Sponsored by Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), Transparency International, and Semana magazine, the conference showcased how rapidly the region’s journalists have embraced investigative work over the past decade.

The conference ended with a rousing call by IPYS, Abraji, and GIJN to attend COLPIN13 next year, which will be held in conjunction with the Global Investigative Journalism Conference and Abraji’s national congress – in Rio de Janiero.